The Doctor's Apothecary and Flower Shop
by Impala73
Summary: Yaz has finally come out to her parents and they didn't take it too well, ending in an argument. But she still lives with them, so has to try and find a way to apologise for the argument; yet doesn't feel quite ready to forgive so decides on flowers, with a subtle message behind them. She stumbles upon this curious little florists with the most peculiar woman who intrigues her.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** So I know I haven't posted in forever and I really am sorry to people who like my other fics. I have had a lot going on in life between school, family, my health and a new relationship that I just got out the habit for writing. What I'm trying to say is that I'm just getting things under control and so hopefully will be posting more often, though it might be a little while until some of the longer fics are updated as I need to refamiliarize myself with the story and the characters.

I am very British in my ways and love Doctor Who and, in my opinion, this is the best series we've had. I adore Jodie Whittaker. Honestly I never thought that we would have a better Doctor than the legendary D.T. (David Tennant) but she had truly stolen my heart (though David Tennant will always hold a place in it) and I love the Doctor/Yaz dynamic and see such potential for them. Imagine me and you also happens to be my favourite film so when I found a story prompt that had that theme I just HAD to write it. A nice little work out for my writing muscles!  
I fully intend to continue this fic so please leave me a review to let me know if you like it!

Love you guys, thanks for sticking with me!

* * *

The sign that swung gently above the door read 'The Doctor's Apothecary and Flower Shop'

 _Perfect,_ Yaz thought as she pushed the large wooden door open. Despite her fury she was still intrigued by the curious little shop, from the outside she had expected it to be dark and spooky inside based on the front of the shop being made of industrial red brick with not a window in sight, but what she was greeted with was a large, bright greenhouse like room, the ceiling was made of large glass panes, and there were huge plants all around, making it impossible to see any of the other three walls. Pathways lead off in various directions creating a maze.

Thankfully there was a sign post by the door which was able to point her towards the flower shop counter; upon arriving in the large room that felt small due to the vast amount of flowers filling the room, some were ones that she could name, but many of them she had never seen before, bright colours jumping out from every corner, she found her way to the wooden counter top that looked like it would have once been used for woodwork; looking round and, seeing no one, decided to ring the bell that sat on the desk. As soon as she did a blonde women with yellow braces popped up from behind the counter, making Yaz jump.

"What did you do that from?" the women asked, Yorkshire accent coming through in her sentence.

"sorry?" Yaz replied, slightly taken aback, unsure of what she had done wrong,

"Ringing the bell like that? What was that for?" the women asked, she didn't look angry but she furrowed her brow slightly, tilting her head to one side

"oh, I… I thought it was meant to get someone's attention" Yaz replied, frowning also, _why else would someone leave a bell on the desk?_ She thought to herself

"hmmm…" the blonde thought about it for a moment, still frowning before it suddenly vanished, a smile appearing on her face "well, I guess it worked then didn't it!" she said, much chirpier, "So, what can I do for you?"

"AH right," Yaz said, remembering why she had come into the shop in the first place "I need some flowers,"

"Well you certainly came to the right place!" Yaz smiled slightly, she was still angry but it was hard not to smile when the blonde was talking,

"Yes, well I want them to say something specific…"

"oooh, interesting" the blonde leant on the counter seemingly intrigued, "what sort of message do you want?"

"Well, how do I passive-aggressively say 'fuck you' in flower?" Yaz asked, also leaning across the counter. The blonde's brow furrowed once more for a second before her eyebrows shot up again,

"Oh, I've got it!" and with that she dashed out from behind the counter and began gathering different flowers from around the room, narrating as she went, "so, you'd need a bouquet of geraniums for stupidity, foxglove for insincerity, meadowsweet for uselessness, yellow carnations for disappointment, and finally orange lilies for hatred!" All Yaz could do was lean back on the counter and watch the women fly around the room in a whirlwind of blonde hair and blue trousers.

Finally she returned to the counter holding a colourful bouquet of fiery flowers, "here you go, it's actually quite striking!" She smiled to herself, seemingly pleased with her creation.

"It's perfect thank you, and the best thing is they won't even know what it means!" Yaz smiled to herself a little.

"Mind if I ask who the flowers are for?" the blonde asked, her tone curious but not invasive or pushy, which Yaz appreciated. She considered it for a second before saying,

"They're for my parents. We recently had a… disagreement, of sorts and whilst I don't think I should be the one having to apologise I do live with them so I kind of need to be the one to try and make peace, but I wanted to put my own little twist on the peace offering." Yaz explained quietly, part of her felt guilty for the message the flowers represented but still stood by her original decision.

"What was the disagreement about?" again, there was that innocent curiosity that meant her questions did nothing to provoke, but rather encouraged Yaz to open up a little.

Yaz glanced down at her feet for a moment before looking again at the blonde, "I told them that I was gay… and they didn't take it all too well…" she dropped her eyes again, not sure if the blonde would share her parents views on the matter. But before she could reach the end of her thought there was an impact that nearly knocked her off balance, the blonde had wrapped her arms round Yaz, pulling her into a hug. Yaz smiled, bringing her own arms up round the blonde's waist. "Um… thanks," she said almost laughing as the blonde pulled away.

"Sorry, just looked like you needed that," the blonde said a kind smile on her face. "Parents can be difficult about that kind of thing, you might find that it's just going to take them a little bit of time to get their heads around, and if not there's a wonderful community out there, with that the blonde gestured behind her, into a small office like space that looked overrun with flowers, and just visible, hanging on the back wall, a pink yellow and blue flag.

Yaz smiled again at the blonde, feeling a little glow inside. "thank you, it means a lot," they both paused for a moment, just smiling at each other "so, um, how much do I owe you for the flowers?" the blonde shook her head

"consider it a coming out present from me," she said smiling,

"oh, no, I need to give you something, they're such beautiful flowers!" she protested, the blonde tilted her head in thought,

"okay then, one thing you can give me,"

"okay," Yaz agreed immediately

"your name." the blonde said, "that's all I'll accept for the flowers." Yaz smiled, seeing there was no way to get the blonde to accept any money for them,

"Alright then, Yasmin Khan, Yaz to my friends,"

"Yasmin Khan" the blonde rolled the words around her mouth before smiling, "I like it." She concluded, looking pleased with herself once more.

"What about you?" Yaz asked "What's your name?"

"Didn't you read the sign?" The blonde asked, Yaz frowned, trying to remember back to the shop's sign,

"But that only said 'The Doctor's Apothecary and Flower Shop'" she said, confused

"Exactly, that's me, The Doctor." The doctor smiled at her, Yaz tried to come up with a response to it that wouldn't seem rude but then decided that it didn't really matter that much anyway and so must accepted it.

"Well, Doctor, thank you for all your help and kindness, I should probably head home and try to make peace," Yaz sighed slightly, dreading the task that was ahead of her. The Doctor wrapped her arms around her once more and Yaz leaned into the hug this time, her arms going round the Doctor and resting her chin on the blonde's shoulder.

"looked like you needed another, " The Doctor explained, smiling as they pulled away,

"You're quite good at sensing that," Yaz laughed and the Doctor ginned more,

"it's a special talent of mine," she said, pretending to shrug it off. "Oh, one more thing before you go!" and before Yaz had time to question what, the Doctor was off again, dashing round the shop, this time looking for something. She would disappear into a clump of flowery bushes and then reappear a little way down the room, causing a rather comical effect. "I know it's round here somewhere, one sec," she said as she shot past. Finally, after some clattering from the office like space, she reappeared holding something and grinning. Yaz couldn't see what it was until the Doctor got closer, she held out the pretty blue flower.

"what is it?" Yaz asked curiously,

"Viola Sororia" the Doctor announced, "otherwise known as the blue violet, it's often considered to the 'lesbian flower' because in the early 1900s they would be used to subtly symbolise a women's sexuality, so that they could attract other women. It's said to symbolized their "Sapphic" desire, so called because Sappho, a Greek lyric poet, in one of her poems described herself and her lover as wearing garlands of violet." The Doctor explained gently, Yaz hanging on to her every word, something about this woman intrigued her. She found her breathing had gone shallow when the Doctor stepped closer and threded the flower through one of the botton holes of her denim jacket. The Doctor was also quite whilst doing this, deep in thought.

But in a moment she was out of it, a bright smile on her face again. "There you go Yasmin Khan, all set."

"I told you, my friends call her Yaz!" to which the doctor smiled even more,

"Well it was a pleasure to meet you, _Yaz,"_ Yaz could tell how pleased the Doctor was to get to call her that. "And if you ever want someone to talk to, or just fancy a cuppa and a custard cream, you know where my shop is!"

As Yaz walked back towards home with her bouquet and violet she smiled to herself, the Doctor was certainly odd, but she was also one of the most intriguing people she had met, and, she thought to herself, she would almost definitely take her up on her offer of a cup of tea and custard cream!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Firstly, Ece! I had forgotten you followed me on here! Yes, I love Thasmin, and the characters individually! This new series is my favourite ever!  
It's looking like there's going to be nine chapters and I promise there'll be a happy ending, but the characters might have to be a little sad first (I'm sorry!) Also just wanted to mention that I know Yaz' parents are OOC but otherwise it wouldn't fit (personally I think they would be fine with Yaz being queer and probably have more a problem with the Doctor being an alien than a girl if Thasmin were cannon!)  
As always please leave a review to let me know what you do/don't like, and it really does make me write more sooner (I know compared to how I used to update things in a day or two in the past if I got quite a few comments, I now have loads of school work so it takes a little longer to find time, but the more I think you guys are enjoying it, the higher on my priority list it will be to do!)  
Also whilst mentioning school, I have loads of deadlines for the 31st that I am not dong so well at getting the work done for (they're all really big projects for different subjects that all just happen to be due on the same day) so this is the last update till February

* * *

Yaz couldn't get the odd little shop out of her mind for days; after her first visit there she had gone home and presented her parents with the flowers, and her mum had made a big deal about them and presented them proudly in the living room to show off to her friends how lovely her children were that that would bring her flowers (leaving out the reason why Yaz had felt she needed to get them flowers).

Since Yaz had been home her parents had pretended like she hadn't told them about her sexuality; it was frustrating that they had just ignored this massive thing that she had told them, but at least it was better than the total rejection she had originally received.

Finally it was the weekend and Yaz had a break from work which had been full on since there was a footie tournament going on in town. She had been round the house all morning, doing various boring errands such as cleaning her room and doing laundry, and she decided that she deserved a proper break; without really thinking much she grabbed her shoes and jacket before heading out onto the street. Suddenly she found herself standing outside that same shop, with the odd blue sign swinging gently from above the door. She hesitated, she had instantly liked the Doctor when they first met, and she _had_ invited her to pop in for a cup of tea sometime, so Yaz reasoned to herself that there was no harm in at least seeing if she was free.

Once again she found herself wandering down winding paths, bordered by hundreds of different plants, most of which towered over her. This time however she was following the sign hanging from the signpost by the door that was labled _'tea room'_ which she supposed must be the right place. Soon the walls of flowers and greenery were morphing into shelves of books and comfy seating scattered around with little tables next to them, presumably for tea.

As before there appeared to be no one around, but sitting on the counter here was another bell, identical to the one at the flower counter. Yaz smiled to herself, remembering the Doctor's reaction last time, she felt the temptation rising in her and before she could help herself she had rung the bell. This time the blonde woman popped out from a little side door that Yaz hadn't even noticed when she first entered.

"Hiya Yaz!" The Doctor called, smiling as she ambled over, pulling Yaz into a tight hug when she reached her. "And again with ringing the bell! Still you keep ringing them and I keep appearing so it must be working!" the Doctor continued to beam brightly at Yaz. "So, back for that cup of tea? I had hoped you wouldn't dally too much before coming back, I like you Yasmin Khan." Yaz wasn't entirely sure how to respond to this, but before she had time to worry about it the Doctor was dashing off again, calling to Yaz to make herself comfy where ever, and that she wouldn't be a minute.

When the Doctor returned, Yaz had settled herself in a large red armchair that was positioned in a little nook with a second armchair, that one covered in a blue plaid pattern, and between the two was a slightly battered wooden table. The Doctor placed a tray containing a large polka dot teapot, a small blue jug of milk, frog green sugar bowl, two mismatch mugs, and a plate of biscuits on the table.

Once the tea had brewed the Doctor carefully poured it into the mugs, leaving Yaz to add her own milk and sugar, she then settled herself in the opposite armchair with her own mug in one hand, and a custard cream in the other.

"So, what did you parents think of the flowers?" the Doctor asked, a slightly mischievous grin tugging at the corners of her mouth, Yaz laughed a little before telling her how they had pride of place in the house, and every time she walks past them she smiles to herself with the knowledge of the secret message they hold.

After describing how life has been since then, Yaz took the chance to inquire about the Doctor, she was curious how she ended up with this mishmash of different shops all rolled into one. The Doctor began to explain, something to do with her uncle, and some kind of bet; but soon the Doctor had gone on a complete tangent and was describing how you can calculate your exact location based on the stars, and that each one of those starts were millions of light-years away, each with their own unique solar systems, and planets so strange that they would baffle the likes of si-fi masterminds like H.G. Wells and Jules Verne. Then before Yaz knew it the Doctor was talking about different author's throughout history with such ease and familiarity that it was almost as if she knew them.

The Doctor carried on like this, flowing from one subject to the next, at first Yaz found it hard to follow the conversation but she was quickly enveloped in to the worlds the Doctor was talking about that she was able to understand with ease. She sat there listening to the Doctor, thinking how she could do this for hours. It wasn't until Yaz' phone rang that the Doctor paused for breath and Yaz, glancing at her phone saw that it had actually been hours and now her mum was calling her, probably to see where she was.

Yaz took the call, getting up and wandering slightly away from the Doctor, who she could still see in her peripheral and could tell that she was watching Yaz pace, whilst munching on another custard cream.

Once the her mum had hung up Yaz she returned to the Doctor,

"Thanks for the tea and the conversation, someone other than my parents, sister, or gobby footie fan to talk to was just what I needed today!" Yaz smiled, hugging the Doctor goodbye, who had already warned Yaz that she wouldn't accept any payment for the tea or biscuits, she was her guest no her customer.

"Well you're always welcome here, anytime you fancy a chat just pop in, there's not really any closing time cuz I live here too so don't worry if its late or anything!"

"Thanks" Yaz replied, laughing happily at the invitation back "I've got work most weekdays, but I usually have weekends off so if you don't mind me taking up your Sunday afternoons I'll definitely be back!" They hugged once more before Yaz was winding off down the path, waving goodbye to the Doctor as she went.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Okay so I thought I had posted this chapter, I posted it on AO3 like a year and a half ago! Not sure why it's not on here, but now you get a double chapter! (the next one is much longer!) If you want to know why I haven't updated in ages read the note at the start of chapter 4!

* * *

As Yaz opened the door she was hit with the smell of her mum's cooking, mixes of aromatic spices and cooking meat drew her to the kitchen; her mum was busy at work, dashing between the counter and the stove, whilst her father had obviously been set the task of dicing vegetables, which he was carrying out diligently.

She stood slightly awkwardly, neither parent had acknowledged her entrance, she stood for what seemed like at least half an hour, but was probably only a few minutes, before her mum told her to lay the table for dinner; she didn't sound angry, but Yaz could tell there was something different about her mum. This wasn't her normal mum who had raised her with words of love and happiness.

The room remained silent until they were all seated at the table, food laid out in front of them.

"No Sonya then?" Yaz piped up, finally breaking the silence.

"She's round at her boyfriend's for dinner," her dad said, barely looking up from his plate.

"Speaking of which," her mum finally looked up, meeting her eyes, internally Yaz groaned, "we realise that things may have been a little tense recently, and your father and I feel that this is partly our fault," there was a glimmer of hope in Yaz' heart, maybe they had just taken a while to get used to the idea of her liking girls, and now they were ready to accept her? "So, we thought that it would be nice for you to have a chance to relax and get out a bit." Her mum paused, looking at her dad who continued to eat, nodding along with his wife.

"Okay?" Yaz said, still slightly unsure where this was going, but hopeful,

"Which is why your father has been talking to some of his colleagues about your… situation, and we have managed to set you up on a date!" Her mum finished, clearly very excited and pleased with them.

Yaz herself was dumbfounded, she had hoped for them to accept her, but for them to go as far as to set her up with someone was unbelievable, maybe the Doctor was right, and they just needed a little time, she could feel herself grinning as her dad took over the conversation

"Yes, Amir is a very nice young man, his father is a friend of mine and he says that Amir would be very happy to meet such a beautiful young woman!" Yaz felt all her hopes shatter.

"Oh and he's Muslim too!" her mother added enthusiastically; both of her parents were now watching her, looking, waiting for her reaction. Still fumbling to collect her thoughts, Yaz avoided their gaze, her eyes focused on the food in front of her. How could they be so oblivious? Finally, she met their eyes.

"Mum, Dad, I know you're trying to be kind but I don't want to go on a date with Amir, or any boy for that matter, I've already told you I'm gay, why can't you just accept that?" She could feel tears starting to build up in her eyes, "why can't you accept me?" she said in a quiet voice, the tears starting to drip down her cheeks.

"Now come on Yasmin, don't cry," her mother said, reaching across the table to take her daughter's hand,

"Yasmin, you need to understand that this family has traditions and values, and as a member of this family you're expected to uphold them, now enough of this silly behaviour." Her dad's tone was harsh and firm, barely any affection of the father she knew before seemed to remain.

"But dad," Yaz began to protest,

"Don't argue with me, Yasmin. If you wish to remain a part of this family you _will_ go on that date with Amir, and you _will_ have a good time, and you _will_ make us proud." Her dad banged his fist on the table showing that that was the end of the conversation.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** First of all, I would like to apologise to the people who enjoyed this when I first started writing it and then had a year and a half with no update, I don't know why I stopped writing fanfiction for such a long time, but I'm sorry if you were hoping for an update!

Since the last chapter a lot has happened in my life, I've done A-levels, moved across the country to uni, had my heart broken twice, figured out I'm non-binary, found out I'm dyslexic, and got a fish!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and a special shout out to JustCecile for leaving a review, it reminded me that I used to write these and people seemed to enjoy them and I feel bad not finishing (especially when I actually have the story planned!)

* * *

Another week rolled by with the usual at work, most her time was being spent dealing with neighbourhood disputes, shoplifters, or other petty crimes which usually lead to cautions or a night in the cells. Homelife hadn't been any more enjoyable, her parents refused to entertain any conversation about anything they considered outside the status quo. Unfortunately, the date with Amir didn't seem to be something she could get out of; since coming out to her parents Yaz had noticed how much more welcome Sonya's boyfriend, Muhammed, had been. He had been invited for dinner nearly every night so far and when he did come, her parents would spend most the evening fawning over him and how cute the two were as a couple, every now and then her father would drop a comment about some trait Amir and Muhammad both share and why they would both be very welcome in their family. After long days at work, this was the last thing Yaz felt like dealing with, thus she would eat quickly and excuse herself as soon as her mother would allow, saying she was tired or something, before escaping to her room.

It felt like forever but finally, Sunday arrived. Yaz was able to sleep in for once, groaning as the eleven o'clock sun spilled through a gap in the curtain, keeping her from dozing off again. Rolling onto her back, Yaz stretched out all her limbs as far as she could before relaxing all her muscles again in a satisfying morning stretch. As she wandered into the kitchen in search of coffee, she heard the front door open, and moments later her mum bustled into the kitchen, glancing over at Yaz still in her pyjamas and stood by the kettle.

"Well, look who finally decided to get up!" Her tone was jokey, something Yaz realised she hadn't heard in a while. "You got any plans for what's left of the day?" to this Yaz just shrugged, she hadn't told her parents about the Doctor yet, no longer sure how they'd react.

"Might go on a walk in a bit," she said in a tone she hoped would sound like she had just thought of it. Luckily, it worked, or her mum wasn't paying attention as she rummaged round in the shopping bags, finally finding what she was looking for and pulling it out triumphantly.

"Here we go! I saw this and thought you could wear it on Wednesday!" she was holding out a white dress with salmon coloured roses patterned all over it, the dress itself had a full skirt, cap sleeves, and a salmon coloured sash that tied into a large bow at the front. All in all, it was a hideous dress, and just the mention of Thursday ruined what had been a very pleasant start to Sunday. Once a month Yaz would have a Friday off before having a week on the night shift. Normally she would spend her Thursday evening meeting old mates from school or going to see her Nani. This Thursday was her date with Amir.

With a grimace on her face, Yaz left the kitchen without her coffee, retreating to her room, throwing on some clothes, and leaving with just a shout in the direction of the kitchen that she was going out. She had given up trying to get out of the date, but each mention of it was a reminder of her parents' outright rejection of who she was. The events of the past few weeks ran through her mind over and over as she walked, like a highlight reel of all the worst moments. As she neared the shop she glanced at the time on her phone, it read 12:03 which meant she was going to be an hour early to the time she told the Doctor she'd come by, but she figured the Doctor wouldn't mind if she showed up early. If she was busy Yaz could just entertain herself with either the extensive collection of plants or books that were around the shop.

Glancing up at the sign as it came into view Yaz realised that she hadn't been to the apothecary section, or even knew where it was, but then again, the shop was like a maze of plants and shelves. She remembered the Doctor had mentioned there was a woodwork and antique repair section somewhere too, and Yaz had believer her until she mentioned she had lost it but was sure it would turn up some time; after that Yaz only half-believed about the woodwork and antique repair shop because how could you lose that kind of thing?

As she entered Yaz could hear clattering from the direction that was the flower shop so decided to follow the noise. Once at the counter she went to ding the bell the Doctor appeared from amid the tall plants that stretched up towards the vaulted glass ceiling, Yaz could tell she was completely concentrating on trying to release a large leafy twig that had somehow become matted in the Doctor's blonde bob. She was so focused that she wandered past Yaz without noticing before suddenly realise and spinning on her heel,

"Yaz!" she exclaimed excitedly, a grin instantly on her face, "What are you doing here? Is it one already?" Yaz chuckled at the Doctor who seemed confused but happy none the less.

"Don't worry it's only just past twelve, things were just… complicated at home so I thought I'd pop in early, that okay?" Yaz replied, still amused by the twig that the Doctor seemed to have forgotten about and was just hanging off the side of her head.

"Course its okay silly! You're always welcome here, you know that!" The Doctor laughed, her grin still ear to ear.

"You do know," the Doctor's grin shrunk a little as her voice took on a more serious, concerned tone, "if you ever want to talk about what's happening at home, I'm here to listen." She gave Yaz a warm smile which Yaz returned.

"I know, thanks," there was a moment of silence between the two women before the Doctor's chaotic energy returned and she was off again.

"So Yaz, I've got a collection for an order that should be here sometime in the next half hour or so, so if you want to go round to the tearoom you can, or you're welcome to stay around here and keep me company if you want," Yaz smiled as the Doctor darted round the room collecting different flowers into a brightly coloured bundle.

"I'll stay here till you're free, I mean I came here to see you after all!" Yaz said, pushing herself up so that she was perched on the edge of the counter. The Doctor paused to look at Yaz, smiling brightly at her, before whizzing off around the room again. "I would suggest that before the customer gets here you deal with the… um…" Yaz wasn't quite sure what to describe the leafy attachment to the Doctor's hair and so just gestured to it. The Doctor stopped and felt the side of her head and seemed genuinely surprised to find the large twig still there.

"Oh yeah, forgot about that!" the Doctor laughed with a goofy expression. "I was trying to get it out before but its properly stuck in there!" she headed back towards the desk "here, just pass me those scissors there," gesturing to the right of Yaz.

"No!" Yaz was shocked, she wasn't going to just let the Doctor chop a considerable chunk of hair off the side of her head. The Doctor also seemed surprised by Yaz's objection.

"It's just hair Yaz, it'll grow back! Besides, I can't just walk around with half a tree attached to my head, I mean I can, but I reckon I'd look a bit daft!" The Doctor's comment made Yaz laugh but she still wasn't going to hand over the scissors.

"Here, let me get it out for you," Yaz offered, waving the Doctor closer so she was stood next to her. Yaz twisted to reach the Doctor's hair and began trying to detangle the mess, but the position was rather awkward for her so with a small resigned sigh to herself, Yaz put her hands on the Doctor's shoulders and guided her round to she was standing in front of the counter with Yaz's knees either side of her. After giving the Doctor a small smile, she rotated her so that the side with the branch on was directly in front of her. Much easier.

After a few seconds of what Yaz would almost describe as uncertainty from the Doctor, where she stood stiffly and unmoving, she seemed to let out a breath and relaxed, leaning back against Yaz's upper leg that was sticking out from the counter, Yaz smiled to herself as the Doctor started chatting away, talking about the headdresses used by the priestess of a church that was found deep in a Mexican jungle at the time of the Aztecs, and how they would use rare flora to show their status.

It took Yaz several minutes to untangle the twig, and although she would deny it, she knew it would have only taken her about 3 if she had been working at a normal speed, instead of gently unweaving the hair, careful not to let it pull or rip the hair. She freed the twig and placed it on the counter next to them, and could have sworn that she saw the Doctor's eyes glance down at it before darting back up as she continued with her tale about the priestesses and how their temple had been booby-trapped against intruders with puzzles and riddles that all related to what we consider modern feminism.

The pair stayed like that, with Yaz sat on the counter, leaning back on her arms, as the Doctor leant against her leg and recounting other fascinating facts about the Priestesses. They had given up pretending that Yaz was still trying to detangle the twig and instead their eyes were locked together, Yaz hanging onto to every one of the Doctor's words and watching her beautifully expressive face. They were so engrossed in their own little bubble that neither of them noticed the door open or the footsteps that were approaching.

It wasn't until they heard a shout that they snapped back to reality, Yaz's face draining of all colour.

"YASMIN KHAN WHAT ON EARTH DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" It was her mother. But she had a look of complete fury in her eyes, her body trembling with rage. The pair jumped apart, Yaz quickly sliding off the counter and moving away from the Doctor. Yaz's face was a mixture of scared and guilt as her mother approached.

"How dare you sneak around behind my back and act in such a way." She wasn't yelling anymore, instead, a quiet rage had taken over which seemed scarier. "You know full well what your father and I have to say about this kind of behaviour and yet you continue with this… this… _depravity_!" She had reached Yaz who could feel her mother's eyes burning into her.

"Mum nothing was happening, we're just friends!" Yaz tried to defend herself, throwing a glance over to the Doctor with pleading eyes. The Doctor seemed in shock about the whole situation but the look from Yaz brought her back,

"Please, madam, Yaz is right, there is nothing going on between us, Yaz was just," before the Doctor was able to finish her explanation Najia had turned her fiery glare to her and cut her off.

"I don't want to hear whatever excuses you have, how _dare_ you take advantage of her, she is just confused by people like you, she's not actually sick like you are, and soon she'll realise just how _disgusting_ this behaviour is and will settle down with a nice Muslim boy. Until then I want you to stay the hell away from my daughter." The Doctor was in complete shock as Najia grabbed Yaz but the wrist and began to drag her towards the door despite her shouts and protests. Yaz tried to pull free but her mum had an iron grip on her and there was little she could do without potentially hurting her mum. Giving in to being dragged out the shop, Yaz twisted back to see the Doctor who was stood powerless by the counter. Tears spilled down Yaz's cheeks as the Doctor pulled her phone out and began typing. A couple of seconds later Yaz's phone pinged and she pulled it out her pocket to see a message _'Stay strong, I'll fix this, I promise x'_ she was just about to read it before her mother snatched the phone from her hand.

"None of that nonsense Yasmine, you're on lockdown until your date on Thursday, your father will be dropping you off at work and picking you up after so no more sneaking around." Yaz was speechless, the shop had been a safe haven since coming out and it had suddenly all been ripped away, throwing her into a spiral. As her mother pulled her down the street she glanced back at the shop and saw the Doctor stood out the front, all she could think was how out of place she seemed in the world outside the shop, the was until she saw the tears running down the Doctor's face, then all she could think about was the way that picture broke her heart.

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 **A/N:** I don't normally do notes at the end of chapters, but I just want to say that this chapter went way off plan! It was meant to end with sofa cuddles and melancholy tears, but my brain decided to do this instead! Let me know what you thought!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** So first of all, sorry this update took longer than expected. This fic has become a lot harder to write suddenly because since the last chapter was posted I have come out to my own parents as queer and non-binary… and very surprisingly they weren't okay with it. They're pretty chill so I always thought it would be okay, but apparently not? So yeah, this now feels a lot more personal, and writing about how Yaz's parents are reacting to it all has me thinking about my own family. Also in this chapter, we have Sonya, who as I was writing this I imagined as my brother and how I wished he was about it all (he is of the opinion of he doesn't care, so not exactly supportive, but not the reaction our parents had (my mum cried a lot)) My bro and I aren't exactly close and I feel I really used our relationship in this chapter!

Anyway, sorry for the kinda heavy note, I just thought you should know where I was at and why there might be bigger gaps between the chapters than I had originally planned.

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Yaz stayed in her room for the rest of the day, her mother hadn't said a word to her as she dragged her back to the flat, which Yaz couldn't help but feel grateful for. She had tried to tell her that nothing was going on with the Doctor, but Yaz knew she didn't believe her, not after the way they were when Najia had walked in, with the Doctor leaning against her leg, their attention locked on each other, how the Doctors voice had dropped from her usual excited babble to a softer tone, and her extravagant gestures that normally accompanied her stories had gone and instead had one hand resting lightly on Yaz's other leg, and the other was propping her up as she leaned also against the desk, bringing their torsos closer. Yaz could imagine how it hardly looked platonic and innocent to her homophobic mother.

Yaz collapsed defeated onto her bed, her cheeks still damp from crying. She pulled one of her pillows to her and curled her body around it; closing her eyes, she retreated to the memories of being in the shop with the Doctor, sat on the sofas with a cup of tea whilst listening to the Doctor's ideas and tales, the proud grin she'd get from her when Yaz connected the facts of the story before the big reveal. There had been the quieter times as well, where they had chosen books off the shelves and sat together just enjoying each other's company, occasionally reading out bits they found interesting. And of course, Yaz couldn't help but let her mind keep wandering back to earlier that day, the weight of the Doctor leaning on her, the sensation of her hand resting on her leg, the fresh smell of plants mixed with old books. These thoughts drowned out the startling experiences of the day and drifted through Yaz's mind as she dozed off, drained from crying.

She wasn't sure what time it was when she was abruptly woken by her door crashing open and slamming into the wall as her father stormed in. He had gotten home and had Najia tell him what had happened, and he was furious.

"HOW DARE YOU BEHAVE LIKE THIS, AFTER EVERYTHING WE HAVE DONE FOR YOU OVER THE YEARS, WE ASK ONLY FOR YOU TO NOT HUMILIATE US WITH THIS DISGUSTING NONSENSE, AND THEN IT TURNS OUT THAT YOU'VE BEEN SNEAKING AROUND BEHIND OUR BACKS FOR WEEKS?" Hakim bellowed as Yaz sat speechless, trying not to let on how shaken she was. She couldn't remember a time throughout her childhood when he had been this angry with her, or Sonya. Sure he had gotten angry about things but never this much pure rage before.

"This sort of thing is unacceptable." He had dropped his voice to a normal volume, and whilst his anger seemed to have been used up in that one burst, his tone was still hard, not at all the sweet, funny father she knew. "We'll be keeping hold of your phone for now, and I'll drop you off at work and pick you up after your shift, and remember that I know several of the officers on the force that I'll ask to keep an eye on you, so no sneaking off to meet with this woman. I just hope that after your date with Amir you'll see that all of this is a mistake and we can all move on from it… if not then we'll have to discuss other options." Throughout this conversation, Hakim had stayed stood in the door, almost unsure how to act around his daughter anymore. He waited for a few moments to see if Yaz would respond but her mind was reeling from it all, what did they mean by 'other options'? After an awkward few moments of silence, Hakim pulled the door shut, mumbling something about dinner, and then Yaz was alone again.

Unable to leave her room and face her parents once more, and still too mentally exhausted to read or focus on any kind of TV show, Yaz dug out her old iPod that had all the top hits of the early 2010s, and curled up once more, trying to escape back into the memories. Her parents didn't call her for dinner that night, instead, Najia brought a plate in and wordlessly left it on the dresser; Yaz ate whilst watching some rubbish on Netflix before deciding on taking a shower to try and relax.

After 15 minutes under the hot water, Yaz found she felt a little better if not only for being clean. After changing into her pyjamas, she returned to her room, surprised to find Sonya sat on her bed waiting for her. The two hadn't been close since they were little, both always competing for their parent's attention and approval whilst becoming very different people.

"Look, Sonya, if mum and dad have sent you here to talk to me, or if you're just here to gloat about being the favourite child then I'm really not in the mood." Yaz sighed, the tiredness seeping into her voice as she tossed her clothes in the laundry basket.

"Keep your voice down would ya," Sonya hissed in a hushed voice, "mum and dad would kill me if they knew I was talking to you, come sit over here." She gestured next to her on the bed and Yaz obeyed, confused at the sudden secrecy. "Look, I know things have been rough for you recently, I know you didn't expect this kind of reaction from mum and dad, but I want you to know that I don't care if you like girls, you're still my sister. I mean, I have to admit, when you first told mum and dad and they freaked, I was kinda glad. I mean I could finally be the favourite for once! But… when they didn't come around, I did feel sorta guilty for that. And with what's happening now, I'm really sorry Yaz, and I want you to know I support you." Sonya hadn't made much eye contact during her little speech, occasionally glancing up. After a few seconds of silence from Yaz, she looked up to see her older sisters' eyes glistening with tears and a small smile on her face. Before she had the chance to say anything else Yaz had pulled her into a tight hug.

"Thank you" Yaz whispered into her sister's ear as she kept her locked in an embrace. "It means so much to hear you say that." She felt Sonya's arms wrap around her and hug her back. They stayed like that for several minutes; in the past 15 minutes the rift that had grown between them over the years seemed to disappear and Yaz felt closer to her sister than ever before. Finally, they parted and with a sympathetic smile, Sonya stood up and moved towards the door before stopping as she remembered something.

"Almost forgot! Your weird blonde girlfriend ambushed me on my way back from Muhammed's and asked me to give you this." She tossed something on the bed next to Yaz, whose face lit up as she realised it was a flip phone, "She told me what had happened and seemed really worried about you." Yaz grinned at her sister, they both knew the trouble that Sonya would get in if their parents found out she had given Yaz a phone, Yaz had never loved her sister more than at that moment.

"Thanks, Sonya!" Yaz said still grinning, not even bothering to correct the girlfriend part. Sonya gave her another smile before opening the door, pausing just for a second,

"Gotta say, ya girlfriend is pretty cute, at least you've got good taste!" she said with her head stuck around the door, closing it with a grin before Yaz had a chance to respond.

Yaz smiled at the closed door for a few moments before grabbing the phone and flipping it open and powered it up. It beeped and alerted her that there was a new text message which she opened immediately.

 _Yaz, I hope you get this, I'm so sorry about all of this, and I understand if you need me out of your life, but please tell me if you're safe x_

The Doctor had already added herself to the phone's contacts and Yaz typed a response as quickly as she could, which took about five minutes as it was a flip phone with a keypad and it had been a while since she'd used one!

 _I'm safe, my dad yelled at me and I'm basically on lockdown, but my sister and I talked properly for the first time in ages which was so good! And don't you dare leave my life, I don't care what my parents do, I need you x_

She pressed send and moments later got a response,

 _Thank god, I've been so worried, your mum was so angry earlier, and I felt so helpless, I'm sorry :(_

 _Also, I'm glad cuz I don't want you gone from my life either x_

Yaz got halfway through typing a reply before giving up with it and dialling the Doctor's number instead after grabbing some headphones and plugging them in. It was barely through the first ring before the Doctor answered.

"Yaz! Hi!" she sounded so happy that Yaz couldn't help but smile, as she curled up under her duvet with just her bedside lamp on,

"Hey," she spoke quietly into the headphone mic, knowing her parents would be asleep by now so she should be safe. "How are you?"

"Oh you know me, I'm always doing alright, better now that I get to talk to you." Her voice was soft again like it had been in the shop in those minutes before her mum had come crashing in and ruining it all.

"What have you been doing? Still in the shop?" Yaz asked, just wanting to hear the Doctor's voice, the headphones gave the illusion of proximity, Yaz could almost imagine that the Doctor was here with her.

"Just finished doing the evening watering rounds, so having a cup of tea before bed. Tomorrow shouldn't be too bad, got a few pickups but I've done all the prep, just been trying to keep busy, waiting to hear from you." Yaz smiled, she felt guilty that she liked that the Doctor worried about her, "what about you?" Yaz described what had happened since being home, from her mum's steely silence and her dad's yelling to Sonya's support after her shower.

"and now I get to talk to you so life doesn't seem so bad right now…" she trailed off and heard the Doctor chuckle lightly, "but I can't talk too much in case my parents hear, so um… I was wondering if maybe you could just tell me one of your stories?" Yaz asked tentatively before suddenly feeling flustered and trying to backtrack "I mean, you don't have to, it was just an idea but if you're tired or whatever then you can just say no." as she spoke she could hear that Doctor chuckling again and Yaz relaxed.

"Of course I'll tell you a story, let me think…" there was a momentary pause, "oh! Have I ever told you about the real reason that we don't have blimps and zeppelins as a common mode of transport?"

As the Doctor chatted away Yaz closed her eyes and imagined being sat in the tearoom with the Doctor, with her words creating a safe bubble around her she was able to almost forget the day's events. As the Doctor's story came to an end Yaz felt her eyelids drooping, suddenly realising how tired she actually was. The Doctor obviously heard her yawning over the phone,

"Looks like it's time to call it a night," her voice had switched from the animated tone she had been using for the story, to the softer one that sent a small shiver down Yaz's spine. Yaz tried to respond but she was cut off halfway through by a bigger yawn causing the Doctor to laugh down the phone. "Night Yaz, sleep well and text me tomorrow, yeah?"

"I will, I promise, and thanks again for this… night" And with that, the call ended leaving Yaz alone in her room, but after hiding the phone in her underwear drawer and turning off the lamp, Yaz curled back up in her bed with the scenes that the Doctor had described, her voice drifting through her head as she fell asleep.


End file.
